At some point during the stroll towards the lounge, Merlin, Lilly, and Jelly had all gone off to do their own thing. Ares... Was grateful to see them leave, if he was being honest. Jelly was fine, a bit of a privacy invader, sneaking around and watching him from the sidelines, but he was less problematic than Merlin and Lilly by far. Ares would rather have goop flung at his head than suffer the inane ramblings of a madman or be in close proximity to a spider lady who mothered and smothered people constantly. The latter, in particular, was enough to make Ares' spine shiver with dread. He kept his dislike for spiders in check for now but that natural instinct, to blow her up, was on the verge all the time when she was around. He had no idea where they went, or what manner of work it was they did in this place when they weren't busy actively being obstacles to the actual hard working interns, but he wasn't sad to see them off with a fake friendly smile. He didn't dislike them, they didn't seem like bad people, but they were more troublesome than he was! Maybe his opinion on that matter was biased but he held that opinion strongly regardless!
Eventually, Ares was led to the lounge and showed to a seat opposite Scotch. Originally hew as going to bring Ares to an office but he realised halfway there that it was probably on fire and changed course. A wise decision as the blaze over by that office was particularly fierce and would be the last fire to be quelled by a brave, nameless worker with a hose. It wasn't much but Scotch would give the worker a raise and Jelly would buy a small cake for him... Though the handover of the cake wouldn't exactly be 'normal'. Jelly would toss it at him as he was passing by and splatter it across his face like some kind of evil prank. Debatably not ultimately a reward but Jelly was trying to be nice and the worker was willing to overlook the mess. That aside, currently, Ares was seated with one leg crossed over another and watching Scotch shift through various documents seemingly in search of something. Only the rustling of paper, and the rapid tapping of smoke-craving-Scotch's foot could be heard for the better part of a minute up until Ares broke the silence and asked about the various 'characters' roaming about the workplace... Which was a polite way of asking what everyone's damage was. The leaders were hardly normal, it didn't take a genius to spot their oddities, so Ares figured he might as well at least try and understand them so as not to be caught off guard by them. It's not like their idiosyncrasies were devastatingly bad or anything but they were definitely some of the weirder people Ares had ever met and that was saying something. Granted, Sheryashka was a well. The world outside the Blade housed some truly mentally unstable, crazy, and downright batshit insane individuals. In a way, these three leaders of the HQ were an entre of sorts and good practice for grounding oneself amidst a storm of nonsense. Jelly's inability to communicate normally, Lilly's purposeful, driven, selfish tendencies, and Merlin's utterly incomprehensible self all posed various issues Ares would have to learn to navigate as sect master. Such developments would happen over time, though, but it couldn't hurt to know at least a bit more about them beforehand... Though, while Ares may have thought as such, Scotch had other ideas as he looked up from the paperwork he was sifting through and raised an eyebrow at Ares.
"It isn't my place to say is it? I know their pasts but it wouldn't be very professional or courteous of me to disclose it to an uninvolved party no? Sect master or not, I can't just hand out other people's personal and private information at the drop of a hat. I don't think they're hiding it, necessarily, but you should ask them yourself. Or, well, depending on the circumstance, such as in my case, they might even just tell you themselves. I can talk freely about their magic, capabilities as cultivators, and what they work on here in the sect, that much is something you should know as sect master, but anything more than that is no-go territory." It was a line he was unwilling to cross and Ares accepted it.
"Fine..." If nothing else, phrasing his rejection in such a way indicated there were issues that shaped them to be the way they are now, it's just that he wasn't going to openly talk about it on their behalf. That did placate Ares somewhat because the leaders of the heart of his sect weren't just randomly rabid. He was willing to tolerate strangeness on the condition there was some kind of sob story attached! He was reminded of tool, though Ares didn't know his sordid history, and so he made a note to check up on the other leaders at some point. For now, though, he was going to take whatever information he could reasonably get because there was still a lot he didn't get about them outside of the root of their personalities. "... So their magic and jobs..."
"Well, starting with me, because I'm the simplest of the bunch, I make sure everything is in working order. I double check every document that passes through HQ, making sure all the wording and calculations are correct before signing off on them. I could maybe dump some of the work on other people but I'm meticulous to a fault and value a level of professionalism that others often find hard to keep up with. You may have noticed the workers here are all extraordinarily skilled and persistent in getting their jobs done? that was by design, my design specifically. I have a spark in me for good, efficient, faultless work and I can see that spark in others when I interview them for a position. I'm boasting by the results speak for themselves. Unfortunately, before this sect too me in, I was exploited by a company that didn't see my value. They forced me to work overtime on menial, trivial garbage that anyone could have done despite what I offered being so much more. It's a petty grudge to hold onto, and of the four leaders my sob story is the most boring, but, then again, I'm the most plain person in this office by a longshot anyway. Even my magic is simple, minus the activation which is a bit out there compared to most other arts, so don't expect any unusual behaviour from me, it's not going to happen. I don't like overtime, I work hard while I am working, I know my worth, I will treat you according to how well you do in your position given whatever circumstances befall you. My name is Scotch, yours is Ares, I work for you now, it's a pleasure to meet you." Scotch held out his hand, to which Ares shook it, and then continued from where he left off.
"Regarding my magic, It's a passive art under the conditional reward aspect called 'Relapse'. The longer I spend not indulging in my vice, the more of a power-up I get when giving in. Smoking, that's my preferred sin. I should mention, though, that Relapse won't activate unless I choose to make it so it isn't wasted when I smoke normally during my down time but that has a price and a catch. Namely, I don't actually get to enjoy the sensation of smoking unless I Relapse fully. Doing so wastes my built up, stored power though. Sometimes I smoke for the fun of it but I never quite get the satisfaction unless I Relapse so it's quite an unpleasant art in many ways. If I want to have a cigarette right now, for example, I either won't enjoy it, because my senses are numbed to the pleasure it brings, or I Relapse and waste all my hard work and effort. I've heard that Relapse can target individual vices, so some people can't enjoy drinking, others sex, some even get no satisfaction from hobbies like completing a piece of artwork or a poem, so it's an art most people tend to avoid learning like the plague. Unlearning Relapse, and freeing yourself from withdrawal symptoms, often requires memory deletion, or something to that affect, but it is worth it if you think you can manage it. The burst of power it gives you outclasses most bare-fist buffs and behemoth aspect empowerments but, again, that price is pretty brutal if you aren't strong of will. There are levels to the art too, I'm not quite there yet but apparently it's possible to generate an even fiercer, stronger aura and become even more powerful. The energy the transformation generates is enough to make your hair spiky, grant the user instant transmission, and become superhuman..." Ares felt like he was describing a certain something but he couldn't quite place his finger on what.
"Alright, I'm picking up roughly what you're putting down. You seem simple enough comparatively to the others. What about Jelly?"
"A slime, obviously, so he does slime things. The goop he strews around everywhere is part of his body and can be generated near infinitely. There is a limit but his main blobby body is only about three or four clasped hands wide / tall so... Given how much green goop you can find around the sect if you look for it, his size doesn't really mean much in terms of restricting his goopage. He can see through droplets of goop he leaves in places remotely, so he's good for security and sneaking in, plus the droplets can change shape freely and do as he commands. He effectively controls a small army of miniature, shapeshifting clones but they aren't that powerful individually. He can make bigger clumps of goo, with better combat potential, but at that point it would be better for him to fight personally. He's oddly talented when it comes to combat you know? probably the strongest of us four in a head-on fight. He's not a close combatant but he's highly mobile and has incredibly strong magic. He can contort his body to dodge incoming attacks and, even weirder still, can spread out his body to form runes out of thin air. He stretches himself thin and creates runic arts on the fly that are pretty impactful and destructive, all the while bouncing around like a little menace. His runemancy is maybe on par with even Julio's so he's really no joke. Whereas Julio specialises in runes for artifacts, and large traps set ahead of time, Jelly is really good at perfectly replicating dangerous runes that summon bursts of elemental power at a moment's notice. Plus, his ability to shapeshift into runes allows him to perfectly control the size of them too which means he has an immaculate grasp over how much power he uses making him very adaptable. in terms of personality, he's the weakest, timid as can be, but as a cultivator he's the furthest from being a pushover of all of us. He can probably maybe even beat Slick if he believes in himself and doesn't run away mid fight... Though he has a habit of doing that. His shyness really is a burden. Still, if he believes he needs to defend his friends, he'll clutch up when he needs to. Good kid, good heart... Feels weird saying that about a slime though. There aren't many sentient slimes or even sentient monsters in general in Sheryashka. As for work?... He's... A mascot, I guess. Plus he helps Slick keep an eye out for anything suspicious."
"Mobile runemancer hopping about and blasting people, huh?" Ares was reminded of a conversation he had with Hunter during which he was told about a purple ball monster that flew about shooting psychic magic. That and Kya, who shot herself around rooms at lightning speed with bullets. Extremely fast glass cannons, the lot of them. Ares was, in his human form at least, quite similar. He was slightly less fast but had more power up his sleeve. In a way, him Voidwalking and Shifting about while throwing Grand Annihilations put him in a similar category. It definitely wasn't easy to pull of so he had respect for the style and those that adhered to it. It might seem like the kind of thing that's annoying to fight from the perspective of the challenger but it was way harder to control from the perspective of the person dashing about as one mistake was all it would take to ruin everything. It wasn't for the faint of heart, usually, so Jelly clearly had some guts in him somewhere! "Alright... What about spider lady?"
"Does exactly what you think a spier lady would. Shoots out webs, highly durable and hard to avoid, and can climb around on walls like it's nothing. She's mastered the Sharp art, though, and can make her legs, all of them, deadly weapons with great reach. She ties you up, she cuts you up. Very simple, very effective. Her job is 'psychiatry'. She makes sure nobody is overloaded with work and distributes excess accordingly. It might not seem too important at first glance but she knows all too well the sort of breakdowns people can go through when stressed and overworked. Productivity has increased ever since she joined so I can't deny the results that are right in front of me. Everyone looks at least a little happier because they've all had their workloads adjusted to something they're more comfortable with. She also talks to them about stuff outside work, the kind of stuff I could never empathise with. She's a very warm person and supportive so she boosts morale while effectively managing the pace of the HQ as a whole. She also cooks often and keeps the place tidy like a janitor so she has a lot of indispensable roles that would have to be filled by multiple other people if she was gone."
"Sharp, huh? And spider like? Climbing walls?" Ares had a bad time with spiders to being with but she was starting to remind him of the psychopath stepper in terms of their respective approach to combat being eerily similar. He would rather not think about the similarities so he shook his head and moved onto the last of the bunch... Merlin. "And what about the kooky old man with more than a few loose screws?"
Sigh
Even Scotch seemed to have some thoughts about Merlin's behaviour which, given he had to deal with Lilly and Jelly, meant that slight action of his was rather meaningful. "He... Pursued magic a little to hard. I can't blame him, it was his fascination and nobody had a right to stop him from chasing it. You should know what I mean, right? You're the same, after all. You pursue bigger explosions, Merlin wanted to be a better elementalist. He saw the beauty in a raging fire, a merciless flood, an unyielding earthen wall, etc... He truly believed magic was deeply intertwined with nature and that both were equally beautiful. He was even born with a talent for it but... He was also born with a unique aspect under the passive pillar that complicated things. 'Method In The Madness'. The more confused he and his direct opponents are, the stronger his magic gets. Originally he had no real way of enabling this, and had to treat it as something that didn't even exist, but eventually he fell down into a rabbit hole and stared at the abyss for a little too long. He wanted more power, tried to make his unique aspect work for him, and now things are... As you've seen. Don't get me wrong, his firepower is immense when he really wracks up the absurdity levels, he's second only to you in terms of raw explosive power, but his sanity isn't exactly all there all the time. He won't mistake friend for foe or anything, he's learned how to control himself with practice, but he will speak absolute gibberish from time to tie and there's nothing that can be done about that unfortunately. He usually uses a strength siphoning magic to tackle and bewilder his opponent, giving him easy wins against those taken by surprise and caught unaware of his unique aspect. Tougher foes, though, will be met with an elemental onslaught... As well as a hail of unrealistic prophetic garbage. If you're wondering why he's a crackpot fortune teller, Yulo is technically involved in this, but it's no-one's fault really. He made this choice knowing full well what it could entail. Maybe he can fix himself, maybe he doesn't even want to. His power is considerable when he lets loose so it's not like he failed in his acquisition of stronger magic or anything. We'll just have to wait and see how well he can learn to control himself going forward and what path he'll take. As for work... Uh, to be honest, we try not to make him do anything. He forgets half way through most jobs what it is he was even supposed to be doing. His bouts of mania really do complicate daily life for him but he's a part of the team nonetheless. I ask for your consideration in not firing him. He's incredibly talented as a combatant so having him around is reassuring and he fulfills a role not many in the sect can should war erupt. He's not as destructive as you, those are hard shoes to fill, but if you aren't around he's the best humanoid nuclear weapon we have. Also, again, he's been here for ages. He tries to help in his own way and everyone's familiar with him."
"It's fine, I get it. If I don't kick Tai out of the sect then there's no way in hell I'll kick out Merlin. One of the two is actually theoretically useful and the other is a massive pervert so it wouldn't make sense to give Merlin the boot first even if I was downsizing. I respect his drive and passion for magic so don't worry about it. It's not like we're a small sect or anything, we can handle a couple of layabouts who aren't always active. Hell most of the outer court disciples, compared tome, aren't worth the robes on their backs. Like them, though, I have faith Merlin will go down his own path and figure something out eventually."
"Thank you. That pretty much concludes the introductions, at least as far as I'm willing to discuss anyway, so all that's left is to clarify how things will work between us. Simply put, I don't expect much in terms of office work from you. Tai was annoyingly capable, Yulo was here often enough and did ok, you will probably never show up... I understand this. It's not like you aren't providing for the sect in your own way. It poses challenges, yes, but also brings many benefits we aren't really used to seeing in the reports. Getting used to your free-spirited adventuring will take some time but we will adapt accordingly and change systems that aren't functional any longer given your disposition. You give us more work in some areas but take away plenty in others. To that end, how about this. From now on, you are free to do as you please. HOWEVER, at times we may make a request of you. Nothing major, sometimes stardust for purchasing of goods, sometimes a resource for a prodigal disciple we wish to bring up to snuff. Minor stuff you can find during your journeys. We will focus on the nitty gritty, interpersonal level details and cross-sect country relations. All you have to do is accommodate us with purchasing power by exploiting your might as a talented cultivator and prominent name. We won't ask for anything ridiculous, and you can turn us down occasionally, but if you could complete at least some of the requests we direct to you every now and then that would be preferable to take some pressure off us. You don't need to visit HQ, or ever pick up a document ever again, but we will contact you and ask of you to be active in procuring things we lack. If you're going to run off then we might as well make the most out of you. For instance, I heard from Jelly, who overheard your conversations around the sect, that you'll be heading to Akarala next? One of out inner court disciples seems like a diamond in the rough but has a difficult constitution. He is 'void touched' and bears resemblance to venators, surprisingly. We would like you to procure some venator shards from Akarala. The Frozen Thunder League should be more than willing to hand some over as long as you contribute to their cause and they are worth visiting anyway f you happen to be in the region. Also, given your affiliation with the void, we want you to talk to them after returning. Not a big deal right? Maybe a little time consuming but nothing too difficult for a first request."
"Sounds interesting, actually. Alright, I'm in. I'll keep in mind your demands when I'm out and about. Anything else you want from Akarala?"
Scotch shrugged. "Nothing we can't live without. Some of our chefs would like rare spices or herbs from the region, so maybe pick up some if you spot any, but that's more of a luxury than a need or anything that would lead to an important development. Generally speaking, the more treasures, resources, and stardust you bring back, the happier we'll be and the less we'll ask of you. Filling up the sect's coffers is always important so as long as you don't slack on that department you're free to go frolic in fields of bloodshed. Truth be told, I personally believe you'll be rather effective as sect master. Your track record speaks for itself so, what I'm trying to say is, I look forward to working with you." Once more, Scotch held out his hand. Once more, Ares shook it without reservation. Scotch and his band of merry mayhem men were the backbone of the sect and all incredibly important in their own way, Ares knew that. He would be counting on them to run the sect in ways he never could and didn't have any tolerance for so being on good terms with them was paramount and he knew it. He'd get to know them better in due time but, for the time being, everything was functional and that was a relief!